<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>everyone changes by Skyuni123</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28524504">everyone changes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyuni123/pseuds/Skyuni123'>Skyuni123</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Friendship/Love, Old Friends, Post-Episode: Revolution of the Daleks, Pre-Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:49:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,158</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28524504</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyuni123/pseuds/Skyuni123</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>jack rejoins the TARDIS.</p><p>post revolution of the daleks. (spoilers for said episode)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Thirteenth Doctor/Jack Harkness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>everyone changes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The Doctor’s moored up in Cardiff, syphoning energy from the Rift. Yaz is home, spending a few days with her folks before they head off again, and Graham and Ryan are… gone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not in a bad way, though - they’re not dead, they’re safe and alive and they’re happy! - but they’re still… gone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s a little too quiet in the TARDIS, a little too silent in her head. She doesn’t like it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The TARDIS still hums, she can still feel her presence… but it’s not quite enough, these days.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s all too quiet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She flips a switch, checks some levels, and is moments away from disappearing off into the time vortex when -</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a knock at the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It almost startles her, but the noise is good. She strides over, pulls it open, exclaims, “Jack Harkness. How long has it been?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Couple of days, give or take.” Jack says, eyes bright, and lets himself in without even being invited. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That’s very him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?” She asks, and closes the door behind him, following him back towards the console. “Figured you’d be off already, causing havoc across the universe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pot kettle black.” He replies, smirking a little, and leans back against the console. “I ran off without saying goodbye, really. Wanted to hang out. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you tell by the look in my eyes?” She snarks, perhaps a little ruder than she means, and leans against the pillar opposite him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your eyes are beautiful.” He adds, and the worst thing is that she feels the sincerity in the compliment and it resonates within her. Damn this body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, stop it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But no.” He continues on. “I just figured. You’ve changed a bit since I last saw you. One, maybe two regenerations?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something like that.” She can’t even begin with the Timeless Child lark. Her whole world has shifted underneath her… and it’s just a little too much.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He must see something in her expression. “It’s been hard, hasn’t it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She snorts. “Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t even mean the innuendo that time, believe it or not. Wanna talk about it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” And to her horror, she feels tears well up a little in the corners of her eyes. They’re angry tears, panicked ones, full of grief. She hates it. Some of her previous incarnations cried - and cried a lot - but it always feels a little harder like this. She doesn’t like feeling vulnerable, and especially not in front of an old friend. “Jack.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I hug you?” He asks, and the fact that he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>noticed - </span>
  </em>
  <span>that he’s realised outside of the sharpness of fear and adrenaline that this body isn’t necessarily great with touching… - it matters. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But it’s him. One of her oldest and longest friends. “Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulls her into his arms, a bundle of warmth and comfort and the edge of his 51st century pheromones that she always tries to forget. He smells good - outside of the tang of the pheromones, and more importantly, he smells familiar.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s strange, being this height. She’s never felt quite so… enclosed before. Her hearts slow, a little. The echoing in her head calms. “You should bottle that stuff.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, they do. You’ve not spent much time in the fifty-first century, have you?” He murmurs, chest warm against hers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve spent enough.”</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Scandalous.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They hug some more, and she relishes in his breath. In the sound of another being. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She loves the TARDIS, but it’s a little too quiet these days.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re so short.” Jack says, and judging by the movement of his body, he's trying to hold back a laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shut up, no I'm not." She says, and tries to shove at him, but it really does nothing. That's the thing about her - she's not exactly one for fighting physically. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Never was, really. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mhmm." He replies, contentedly, tracing one hand up and down her back. "The last time I saw you were six foot tall and a man. These days, bit of a difference. It looks good on you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shut up."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Taking compliments isn't a bad thing."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She huffs. "It's not that. I can take compliments just fine, thanks. It's just- This body... - sometimes, yeah, it feels like I'm in a flesh suit, right? Just piloting this thing. I like it, I tolerate it, and its weird sticky out bits and all, but it's never felt quite like my own like most of my others have. I mean, my sixth regeneration - what was going on there - I never really fit into that one either but-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Take a breath." Jack soothes, and holds her closer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That's the thing about this body. It's always a little too much. A jangling warning sign, a flashing light on the TARDIS console. It's jumpy, flighty, not quite as grounded as most of her past selves. Even after years in this form... it's not quite right. She takes a breath. It doesn't really help. "Hate this." She grumbles. "Just for once, I'd like to be able to calm down." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You wouldn't be the Doctor I know if you knew how to stop thinking." Jack chuckles. "You've always been like this. As long as I've known you. You're still the same Doctor. Just in a different package."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hope so." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He lets her go for a moment, pulls back to look her in the eyes. "Whatever you're hiding from me, whatever it is. It doesn't change who you are. You're still the same in here." He reaches out, rests a hand near one of her hearts, on her chest, just for a moment, then pulls back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rolls her eyes. "And that's another thing. The <em>breasts. </em>Do you know how weird humans are about breasts?" She prods one, annoyed. "Everyone has chests! These things aren't that special! What's the point of 'em?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>"Well, I can think of a few things..." Jack starts, a grin spreading across his face.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't start." </p><p> </p><p>"You're no fun." </p><p> </p><p>It's not like the thought isn't... interesting. Something to consider. But she can't encourage him. He's incorrigible enough. "Buy me a drink first." </p><p> </p><p>"Not a problem. What does this regeneration like? I have a mean cocktail bar in my suite." </p><p> </p><p>She just glares at him, tempted, a little, by his tone. But that's the thing. She always has been. For once, she can't even think of what to say. </p><p> </p><p>He smirks. The moment breaks. "Was wondering if I could stick around. For a bit. Take in the scenery. Hang out." </p><p> </p><p>She smiles back, remembers vaguely the face of a woman from so many years ago. "Gwen kick you out?"</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I kept on flirting with her husband." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rolls her eyes, ignoring the pounding of her hearts in her ears. "Come on, then. Places to be."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Chaos to cause."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Exactly." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He joins her at the console, and together they spin off into space. She'll be back, soon enough, but for the moment, she needs <em>this. </em></span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>was thinking of making this into a two parter with a sexy ending? thoughts on that?</p><p>also my boy is back woooooooooooooooooo jackkkkkkk</p><p>hit me up on the <a href="http://eph-em-era.tumblr.com"> tumblr </a></p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>